Wednesday, 27 July 2011

Hopefully this Eagle won't make you feel the same!
This guy has just lost the wind beneath his wings and is what I am calling 'just landed'.

I wanted to show his wings outstretched and I love the way that Eagles come into land with all their legs and talons stretched out .... almost how I look skiing actually! Then again that would be them landing on their bums!
Seriously though they are amazing creatures.When I was in year 12 (yes I hear you say... many, many moons ago) I won the year prize for art and biology. I thought they were polar opposites back then... oh how little did I know the two would one day marry into one? Anyway the gift I got for the art prize was a book titled 'Impressionist Women', the book I got for the biology prize was titled 'Birds of Prey'. I haven't used them much... until a couple of weeks ago and the Birds of Prey book certainly, even in its faded and dusty state, came in handy.
I never really realised how different all the different raptors are and how majestic they all can be even when hunting. Its been a nice journey and who knows... with the multitude of different raptors out there I may embark on another one day. Watch this space!

In the meantime... I will probably go a little quite on this blog as far as 'revealing' sculptures go. This Eagle is my last project for a few weeks as I prepare for the upcoming ABC Gardening Expo which is on in Sydney on the 19th - 21st August. I will be taking this little fella with me to show off to all those green thumb-ers but I wont be creating any more newbies.
I will, however, be working really hard on my backlog of commissions for my 'Sculpt your Pet' project which has had an influx of orders thanks to the Waggle Canine Adventure Gear blog 'All things Dog' where my CEO (and fur child) Bart was a guest blogger. Have a read here.

For more images of my work visit my website or become a fan on facebook for a more 'casual' sculpture relationship!

Saturday, 16 July 2011

I have always loved Liquorice... the eating kind.
And of late I have had a lot of reasons to think about it.

Meet the gorgeous Liquorice ~ a very cute black poodle who loves to play, especially with her frisbee.

I was lucky enough to have the honour of creating Liquorice in sculpture form. Her mum was great in telling me all about what she likes to do and how she spends her time which really helped me 'get to know her'. Then the cute photos followed - I could tell Liquorice was a very sprightly girl who loves to play but also likes a bit of pampering and the occasional bit of girly pampering with a nice old groom topped off with a bow!

Liquorice's mum really emphasised the love she has for her frisbees so what option did I have really? Of course I love to feature bits and pieces to my sculpture which show the pet's personality and this was a 'must have' piece to add. I am a bit biased but I do love it!

So the final product? A lot of fun I think....

From my own love of dogs... I understand their importance in their 'pack' so I really enjoy getting to know my subjects, finding a way to show their personalities as well as their physical features... but best of all is revealing them to their 'owners'. Such a pleasure to be able to share this all with all the wonderful people I have met who love their pets.

Thursday, 7 July 2011

Mother Nature has played havoc with my work this week. We have had gale force winds for most of the week and lost power for two days. It was certainly challenging in the cold weather.

So this little fella, my Anglerfish, has been waiting patiently to make his debut. He has been twiddling his thumbs (can't see them?) on my dining room table waiting.. waiting... waiting. Today he got his much awaited photo shoot and now I can share him with you all.

He doesn't have what you may call 'classic' good looks but he certainly has character.
Wondering what an Anglerfish is? Click here to see them in real life via my good 'friends' at the Australian Geographic or here to see them via google images.

Some of you may remember the Anglerfish in Finding Nemo? He left an impression on me and, after all these years, made me look into making one. He is approximately 45cm long and made from steel and has champagne cork cups for eyes.

I would love to hear what you think of this little fella. I think he needs a name... what do you think?
For more of my work check out my website.